A moment of reckoning

There are always inconsistencies between the beliefs we profess and our actions, but that is far from surprising since upholding our beliefs is usually costly: most of the times it entails renouncing our natural inclinations either by doing something that we normally would not do or refraining from doing something that we would normally do. And even if our beliefs are strong, subverting our natural inclinations is hard and sometimes we just do not measure up to our own expectations. But this is all unsurprising and well understood.

A completely different kind of dissonance arises when we find out that our true beliefs are not the ones that we have thought, when we react, feel or respond in a different way from what we always thought we would. I have recently been faced with such a situation and it got me thinking...

Photo: Sidvics

A few days ago I was watching a documentary about Venice, the counter-cultural township in the outskirts of Los Angeles, California. I have visited Venice a couple of times when my job required me to travel to JPL in Pasadena, so it was heartwarming recognizing the famous arcades in Windward Avenue or the five-story high portrait of Abbot Kinney on Venice Boulevard. But then, the reported started to talk to the locals and I have to admit that I started to feel uneasy, because many of the things they said sounded to me like hallucinated gibberish.

One surf shop owner said that "there are many flavors of Venice, the smart Venice, the crazy Venice, and all of them are welcome here" and that already put me in a mild state of alert: what is crazy Venice? Then the camera crew moved to a skate park where a guy reported spending his days on the skateboard. When asked if he was a pro, he replied that he wasn't, but he was training to be one (although he was visibly past his twenties already) and then he went on to tell the story of how a few weeks earlier he had run into a famous pro-skater at the park and, when his board broke in one of the attempts at a complex trick, the pro had given him a signed board for him to keep. This part did not surprise me that much, because being a star also means getting in touch with the people and I am sure that this guy will always speak wonders of the pro that gave him a board. But I was shocked when the guy reported without beating an eyelash, that the board had been unfortunately stolen in the homeless shelter where he lived! The documentary did not go any deeper into why he lived in a shelter and spent his days skating, but I was uneasy with the whole concept.

The next shock came from the contrast between two houses that, by differently circumstances, had been themed strongly: one was surrounded by pink flamingos in different shapes and sizes (including a flamingo boat), the other one was Gothic themed, painted black with gargoyles and statues of gods and warriors all over the roof. I have always had myself for someone with an open mind, tolerant of difference as long as it was not imposed on me, but I was surprised at my two completely different reactions to the two houses. I considered the first one quirky and whimsical, but I sensed a threat in the second one, even if I had no reason at all to do so. Obviously, they are not my neighbors, so their existence is absolutely irrelevant for my life, but even if they were I should not have any reason to fear one and not the other. What was wrong with me?

The last drop of uneasiness came with the interview of a guy who lived in his van on a permanent basis by choice (he clearly made the point that he was not homeless but "home-free"). He is a mural artist, so having the ability to travel to wherever the work is makes some sense. Still, who would choose to live without a shower, a fridge, a stove, a washing machine? He claimed the beach was his yard and he never had trouble finding an open WiFi when he needed internet access, but I was troubled again by his choices. How would I feel if he parked next to my house for a few weeks?

I guess I will have to think about it some more and it is getting late. I hope you enjoy the evening and have a great weekend. Cheers!